Wind wheel



Feb., 13, 1923.

F. A. STIRTAN.

WIND WHEEL ORIGINAL FILED APR. I0. 191s.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

ATTORNEYS F. A. STIRTAN.

WIND WHEEL.

ORIGINAL HLED APR. lo, |919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Feb. 1:3, 1923.

.Y INVENTOR @qm/4 A. Svly'm ATTORNEY@ tural" steel elements hi h Patented Feb. 13, i923., p

rimNK n. sri's'riin, or iinnncisoo, catrronnrii.

.Winn wnniin Appli-caan filed AprilO, 1919, Serial No. 288,320. lRenewed September 30, 1921. Serial No. 564,497.

To all whom t may Concern.' i

Be it known that I, FRANK A. Srirrran,` a citizen of the United States, residing at Francisco, in the county of San lFrancisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements Vin Wind ldlheels, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of this invention. is to provide a wind heel, the sails of which will automatically vbe presentedto the force of the wind'and may be conveniently adjusted so that the operation of thesail moving means willbear a direct relation to path of travel of the wind, thus making it possible to vobtain a maximum efficiency rroin the operation of the wind wheel and to convert a maximum amount ofthe force of the wind into power.

The present invention contemplates the use of a vertically pivoted rotor carrying a plurality of sails7 chronisiii as the rotor revolves and assume various positions vin relation to the wind-tu maximum sail surface to the present the Y force of the wind at all times, said synchroniziiig means being adapted to be. rendered inoperative and to permit automatic adaptation Vof' the sails to the direction of the wind travel. y

The invention is illustrated by way of ei;- ample in the' accompanying drawings, in which i i Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section and elevatio'n through the'wind wheel', showing the rotor construction and the synchronizing means connectingthe sails. Arig 2is a view in plan, illustrating the wind wheel in operation and 'disclosingthe cooperative positions of thevarious sails, as controlled by the synchronizing means. f Reiferring to the drawings, 10 indicates a suitable tower, preferably Aformed of struc; i l and Carrying a `wind wheel or rotor 11; This rotoris formed withr'an'iipper spider 12 and a lower spider spiders consist'of a pluralityof spokes '1a. TheV 'spokes' are Apreferalily i made of struetural metal, channellshaped fin cross section'and iii the present instance are in` dicated as being six' in number. The `upper set of spokes aresecured together by a hub plate 15 and suitable re`-enforcing members, which' will hold the spider 12 in a rigid condition andfperinit it to rotate upon a ball-race 16,oarried at the' upper end of the towerVv 10. 'The lower spiderfl formed which sails act in syn-` with a hub ring 17 circumscribing the tower and moving around a racen-way l18 fixed to the tower, anti-friction bearing members 19 being interposed `between the 'members 1T and 18. lThe spiders 12 and 13 are suitably cross-braced by members 19 and thus form a rigid rotor for carrying sails 20. In the present instance, these sails yare rectangular in shape and are formed with a flat surface, against which the wind may strike. The sails extend vertically and are rotatably mounted between the ends of spokes le upon a tubular shaft 21. This shaft accommodates a central push rod 22, which extends through the opposite ends of the shaft and operates a sail adjusting mechanism 23 which will be hereinafter described.

Fixed concentric to each shaft 2l and to the upper end of each sail 20, is a bevel gear 241i. These gears are in mesh with comple- -inentaiy bevel piiiions 25 carried upon synalong by shifting the sleeve 29.` The pinions 28 are in mesh with a normally hired bevel gear 30 secured on the upper end of the tower 10, andaround which gear the pinions have a planetary action. The pinions 25 'and 2S ar e preferably of v`the same diameter, while the pinions 24 and 30 are of a ratio of two to one, thus making it pos sible for the wind wheel to rotate twice to each revolution of the sails, this actioncausl ing the sails to assume the positions'shown in Fig. 2 `of the drawings during one rotation of thev rotor and causing the opposite sides of the sails to be presented to the wind inthe same angular positions during the second rotation of the rotor. Mounted upon the upper end of each of the spokes of the spider '12, is a casing 31'. This casing carriesbearings 32 and 33 which are longitudinally andv horizontally aligned and from which bearing 'varies 34 and are supported. The vane 34 is iixedin relation to the bearing 32 and the vane 35 is provided to rotate around a horizontal axis, as supporti erating lever 43.

stood,

oted to the upper end of the push rod 22.. The lower end of the push rod 22 is litted with a grooved collar 39, actuated by a bell crank and the bell crank 40 carriesa pin 41 projecting into the groove of the collar and by which the collar may be lifted or lowered, asdesired. The opposite arm of the bell crank is connected with an operating rod 42 extending inwardly beneath the spoke 14 of spider 13 and secured to an op- This lever is formed as a continuation of one arm of a bell crank 44 which is carried upon a pivot pin 45 secured to the spoke 14. The opposite leg of the bell crank operates a vertically extending shifting rod 46, connected to a gear shifting crank 47 which is supported from the bearing- 28 upon an arm 48.

The crank 47 engages a groove on the sleeve 29 and thus vmakes it possible to slide the gear 28 into `and out of mesh with the fixed gear 30. It is to be understood that while the adjusting mechanism 23 and the linkage the gear 28 is described for one unit, that these units are provided for each of the sails for the control lof the same.

Reference being had to Fig.

2, the operation of the wind wheel will be readily underit being understood that the wind is blowing 'in the direction of the arrow c. The wind will strike the broad side ol sail 2O on the arm and will force the wheel to rotate away from the wind and around the central vertical axis of the tower. As the wind wheel rotates, the sails' will successively assume the positions indicated at c, d, e, j and g. By a comparison of these different positions, it will be noted that the the sail resistance to the wind.

l moved upwardly and will sails at c and f/ are inclined at opposite angles to each other and Thus, the wind will strike thefront face of the sail g to move the sail into the position assumed at b and the wind will strike the face of the sail c to move it to the position assumed at (Z. A like condition will exist between the sails (Z and f while the sail indicated at e, which is upon the diametrically opposite side trom the sail at Z), will stand at` right angles to at o and-willpresent practically no In the event that the wind changes its direction of travel, it will be necessary to readjust the sails so that thesail at b will be presented directly to the force of the wind. This is done by successively operating the levers 43 to shift the gears 28 out of mesh with the gear 3() or by ay regulating mechanisms as indicated at 50. Simultaneous with this operation, the push rods 22 will-be rotate the vanes 35 to cause them to assume positions in a horizontal. plane. This action will cause an unbalanced condition upon each sail, due to lconnecting with said mechanism andl equal angles to the l path of travel of the wind.

rods, connecting rods and hand the added wind surface of the vane 34 and this will swing the vane around parallel to the path of travel of the wind..

All of the sails will be freed by the operation of their levers 43 and all will stand parallel while the rotor operates.V As the `sails reach the position indicated at c in Fig.

2, the levers 43 are moved to shift the gears 28 into mesh with the gear 30 and to swing the vanes 35 to the position shownl in iiig. l, thusV successively throwing the sails into synchronism with the master gear 30 and.

causing them to operate and assume the successive positions shown in Fig. 2.

It will thus be seen that due to the arrangement here shown, the various sails of the wind wheel will be caused to assume proper angular relation to the wind torce to insure a maximum absorption of power by the wind wheel, which power maybe transmitted from thewheel by any desired means. It will also be observed that a simple means is provided for adjust-ing the wind wheel to various changes in `the direction otwmd travel, thus insuring a, constant operation ci' the wind wheel under varying conditions Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Fatent isv l. A wind wheel comprising a vertical tower, a rotor revolvingvaroundthe vertical axis thereof, a plurality ot sails distributed around ythe circumference ci said rotor and mounted :tor individual rotation upon vertical axes, a master gear carried yby the tower, a. secondary gear carried by each of said sails. operating means therebetween,

whereby movement of the tower will-prosaid sails, lever connections and sail adjusting means adapted to accommodate to move the sails into parallel relation to each other and the path oit travel of the wind, and control means for simultaneously disconnecting the sails from the master gear and for throwing the adjusting means into operation.

` 2.' In a wind propelled wheel of the character described, a vertical tower, a rotor revoluble about the vertical axis thereof, radial arms each carrying a centrally vertically journaled sail, a stationary master gear fixed. to the tower, radial shafts and bevel gears at each end, engageable to'transmit motion between the central gear and the louter arms, hollow shafts to which the sails are connected, push rods slidable through the sail shafts having-beve] gearsengageable with those of the radial shafts, bell crank levers connecting with the lower ends ofv the push vlevers near the center of the rotor by which the push `rods may be individually raised or lowered.

oluble about the vertical airis thereof, radial. arms each carrying; a centrally vertically ournaled sail, a Litionary master gear liXed to the tower` radial shaits and lievel gears at each enih enga eahle to transmit motion he tween the cenrial gear and the ou'ei arms, hollow sha'ifts to which the sails are Connected, push rods slidahle through the sail sha'ts having' bevel gears engageahle with those ot the radial shafts, loell oranlr levers connecting with the lower ends ol the push rods, connectingv rods and hand levers near the. centel ot the rotor by which the push rods may he individually raised or lowered, easinps mounted on the outer ends ot the radial armse vanes upon opposite sides of the easing, one oit which is fixed and the other turnahle upon a horizontal axis, a cranlr arm and a link` connecting each of said crank arms with the push rod et its sail.

1l. Wind wheel comprising tower9 a rotor revolving' around the axis thereof, a plurality ot sails distributed around the circuinterence oit said rotor and mounted tor individual rotation upon parallel axes, a master gear carried hy the towen a ser-onf; ary gear ciuried by each ot said salles operating means therebetween, Wherehy moveinent ot the rotor will produce simultaneous rotation ot the sails, adjusting; Ineens adapted to move the sails into parallel relation to each other and the path of travel of the Winde and control means for simultaneously disconnecting; the sails from the master gear and for throwing the adjusting means into operation,

5. ln a Wind propelled Wheel of the charaeter describech a vertical tower, a rotor lrevoluhle about the vertical artis thereof, ra dial arins each carrying; a. vertically journsrvled sail, a stationary master gear lined to 'the towel: radio1 sha lits and lievel `gears at exch euh enga VVfhle to transmit motion from the neutral Ynaar to trie outer arins, hollow shatteto which the sails are connected7 push rods slidalile through the sail shafts haring: hevel gears engageahle with those ot the radial shafiisn and means by which the push rods may he individually raised or lowered.

6. A wind wheel fgoinpi'ising a hase, a rotor pie-,iotally mounted thereon Ytor horizontal rotationn a plurality of sails carried hy the: rotor and pirotally mounted parallel to the axis oi the rotorE optionally controlled ineens for settingv the sails in ineffective positions relative to a current of air and means for causing` the sails to positively swing as the rotor turns.

'7. A Windwheel comprising; a rotor turnable about ayertical axis, a plurality ot sails carried by the rotor and operating about vertical operativo ine-ans connect ing the sails to produce synchronism of operation ot said sails during` the revolution ot the rol'oi` a n d means for setting;` said sails in an effettive position relative to a current o? air.

ln 'testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand in the presence ol! two subscribing ".nitnesses. 1"'5 FRANTK A. STlR'lAN.

1lillitnesses:

lll. W. HEALEY, M. E. EWING. 

